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Tion Harrowmire
Tion Lordain Harrowmire is the Kingdom of Stormwind's Ambassador to Alterac, the Lord of Caldain, and the Lord of the Lord of Aron's Crossing. He is the youngest son of Duke Andrian Lothaire Harrowmire. Physical Description Hair the color of the palest of winter snow crowns the youth's head, artfully tousled with drifts feathering across his forehead and dipping into his eyes. The lightly gilded locks appear soft to the touch, the hair thick with a natural wave that gives it such a rumpled appearance. Within his eyes, several blues can be seen ranging from teal to sapphire, darker hues radiating in lines from the pupil to the edge of the iris. Those eyes are wide, bestowing a look of youthful innocence, and the slight tilt at the outer corners may hint at an elvish ancestor somewhere in the recent branches of the family tree. A gently tapered point to his ears, barely noticeable, backs up this theory. A slender build coupled with such wide eyes and a heart-shaped face gives a vaguely androgynous countenance to the lad, an edge of the effeminate that he does not appear to mind. Willow-slim, he could be said to have an athletic build at best; his form is clearly more designed for the library than the gymnasium. His skin is pale, a peaches-and-cream complexion that one cannot maintain if one spends much time out of doors; everything in the lad's appearance suggests a scholarly lifestyle. Clothing is chosen to offset that perfectly unblemished pale skin; he is most often dressed in jewel-tone blues and teals to bring out his eyes, paired with grays and black. He avoids the robes mages are so prone to wearing, instead preferring snug trousers and looser dress shirts with vests or jackets. Those vests and jackets are often made of the finest doeskin, embroidered in colors to match the cloth beneath, or decorated subtly with thread-of-gold or -silver. It is clear by the cut and fabrics of his clothing that the young man comes from wealth, but he doesn't display this in an ostentatious manner. Personality If approached, many would assume the boy to be arrogant. Often, he stands away from the crowds as though considering himself above them, and answers to questions are frequently clipped. When speaking to others, he has a habit of looking away, perhaps giving the impression that he doesn't find the conversation or conversationalist worth his time. =History= Early Life Childhood Born during the height of Midsummer revelry, in 16 L.C., Tion Lordain Harrowmire was the sixth son of Margrave Lothaire Harrowmire. A Marcher-Lord of one of the many small fiefdoms that remained independent of outside rule, this small stretch of land was nestled between the great Kingdom of Lordaeron, the mage-city of Dalaran, and the deteriorating Kingdom of Alterac. The Margrave's lands were called the March of Llovere. With five older brothers, Tion was nowhere remotely near any point of succession to that small kingdom. And yet, his childhood was still embroiled in the political intrigue and strife that was part of the Border March. From his youth, he was no stranger to the political machinations that petty lordlings indulged in, and was often pleased to be so low in the chain of succession; it meant that such things were rarely directed at him. The Margrave chose to have all his sons educated in the political culture common within Llovere, and at courts and events held by others of note, Tion learned more than he probably wanted to about how toadying and deceptive nobility could be. He also witnessed the machine of politics, every House and landed noble a cog in a greater machine, with the peasantry below them turning their wheels in their time as well. Lessons that he enjoyed more were martial in nature; his father required that all his sons be competent on the battlefield as well as in the courts, for the two places were simply different aspects of conflicts to be won. As a child, Tion wished to become a Knight. Since such ventures were considered honorable for the family, the Margrave fostered him to the far south Kingdom of Stormwind to serve as a page of Lord Drake Aedrenn. Drake was a distant relative, and to the surprise of many, required very little persuading to take the boy on as a student. Some speculated that he had ulterior motives in mind, but Tion didn't care. That was the story that was spread around, at any rate. Some brief time before, a lordling was killed in a hunting accident, a hunt that Tion attended. Amid the resulting chaos and accusation, Tion was blamed for the death. Bewildered and distressed, the young Harrowmire was quietly shuffled off to Stormwind, exiled from his family holdings. He became comfortable in the southern Kingdom, learning to navigate the political waters there, for politics seemed the same everywhere, at the roots. All that changed were names, colors, and specific ambitions. Lord Aedrenn continued his education in the matters of the court, making certain that Tion was aware of the various situations in the political life of Stormwind and the other Kingdoms. Tion received lessons in manners and diplomacy at a tender age, as well as how to insinuate himself in those events, taking advantage of his youthful, angelic looks. By the time he was twelve, Lord Drake took him on officially as a squire, and Tion attended his new Lord wherever he went. The Scourge and the Forsaken Meanwhile, in the north, both Lordaeron and Dalaran had suffered miserably under the decimation of the Plague and subsequent Scourge armies. The grand Kingdom of Lordaeron, once a majestic place, had fallen completely. Stromgarde held out for longer, the impressive keep and the tactics of the military leaders keeping the landscape partially free from the spread of Undeath. But only for a while. When the Forsaken invaded the Arathi Highlands years later, it was only a matter of time before the keep finally fell, but time had been bought for citizens to flee to what safety could be found. As a member of the Grand Alliance, Lord Drake went northward to help organize a collective effort from the local nobility, but the more powerful members of Court responded with hostilities, preferring to take advantage of the chaos and disaster to advance themselves and their power. As his squire, young Tion accompanied Lord Drake, and was recognized as a member of House Harrowmire. Rumors of Tion's exile hadn't spread quite so far, and one of the nobles decided he could benefit by taking the youth hostage in the hopes of ransom from the destabilized March of Llovere, which was barely standing after the Scourge armies had swept through. Lord Baereus Williams hardly matched his regal reputation, given his willingness to take a child hostage instead of focusing on what could be done to save places and people from the Scourge. For well over a year, Tion was kept as "guest" of the Stromgarde Lord, initially under the lie that he was now squire for Lionblood. It was a comforting lie for Tion for a while; he preferred to believe it instead of thinking about the alternatives, but eventually, he faced the fact that he was not only held hostage but that his family would certainly have no interest in purchasing his release. Still, there were bright spots here and there. He found a friend in the foppish son of Lord Williams; the flamboyant young man named Aidros made for a good companion and confidant in a place that otherwise lacked both things. Tion also took advantage of the martial training made available with the Stromic Knights, along with Aidros. He did serve as though he were squire to Williams, though he held out hope that Lord Aedrenn Drake would return for him. Eventually, after a year and a half, his hopes were rewarded when Lord Drake returned and secured Tion's release. Not believing that anyone in politically vulnerable positions should remain ignorant, Drake made certain to inform young Tion of the perils of his noble birth and just how common a practice it was to keep a young noble as "guest" in such a fashion. Of course, this made him recall the whispers that had gone on when Drake opted to take him as a squire so quickly... They traveled back south to Stormwind, the city that Tion had started to really think of as his home. The Kalimdor Campaign They'd just withdrawn from the Arathi Highlands when the clash between the Grand Alliance and the New Horde began in earnest. They avoided becoming embroiled in that war themselves as they traveled, by luck as much as anything else, though gruesome rumors traveled to their ears of the horrors inflicted on the lands they knew. Upon reaching Stormwind, Lord Aedrenn was promptly named as a Marshal of the 13th Northwatch Expeditionary Unit and was given the difficult task of campaigning into Kalimdor and securing strategic points to reinforce Alliance presence in the rugged and wildland. Tion attended as his squire and saw firsthand what only rumors had mentioned before. Even after months, he couldn't view the large number of casualties with a jaded eye, but the unit eventually completed its campaign. The entirety of the Alliance was shaken to the core by the destruction of Theramore. While civilian losses were minimal, that particular show of callous violence raised both fear and fury that didn't abate in the least until the Siege of Orgrimmar resulted in the defeat of Garrosh's Horde. Lord Drake did not escape unscathed from the warfare; severely wounded early in the campaign, he retired to his estates in Stormwind. Sixteen years old, and already Tion had experienced more than most sheltered nobles would in twice the time. No longer needed as a squire, he decided to serve at the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind as a trainee guard Current In 37 L.C., Duke Marcus DeBray came to Stormwind to work with the guard on a brief rotation, bringing some of his own soldiers to train with them. He looked over the Duchy of Kent, a substate of Alterac east of Llovere lands. On a number of occasions, the two had the opportunity to work together and developed a mutual respect. Wanting to make a name for himself somewhere beyond the tamed city of Stormwind, when DeBray extended an invitation, Tion eventually chose to accompany him back to Kent. While the cold weather and rocky land --not to mention a people that were somewhat cold and hard themselves-- was a bit of a deterrent, the desire to become something more and test his skills won the decision. In the months to follow, Tion was Knighted informal ceremony in service to DeBray and Kent Category:Characters Category:Human Category:Lordaeronian Category:Alteraci Category:Stormwindian Category:Mages